


All it takes is once

by Yobotica



Series: Things we designate ourselves [1]
Category: Deus Ex (Video Games)
Genre: Fluff, I needed a break from writing angst y'all, M/M, Wecome to a new fandom I guess, of course it's a rarepair, that's my specialty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-20 21:25:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14902304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yobotica/pseuds/Yobotica
Summary: Pritchard knows Jensen is no stranger to brooding, but really, this is getting to be a bit much.Or, the result of a prompt given to me by a friend when I asked for something fluffy to write:Calm meadow, and "There are people who believe in you."





	All it takes is once

Pritchard wasn't exactly a saint. He'd honestly be the first to tell anyone that, if they'd ever somehow made that wildly incorrect assumption.

But, he wasn't completely heartless either, no matter what some people thought. True, in most cases, it was an inconvenient notion at best, and most impulses originating from that highly inconsistent, emotional organ were easily ignored.

Most of them, anyway. Right now, Jensen was sitting in what Pritchard had dubbed his 'quiet place'. The problem was, he'd been there for nearly five hours now. Pritchard didn't care for concepts like 'it's getting late' or 'it'll be dark soon', for the most part. But while Jensen sitting contemplatively in nature (read: brooding) was acceptable during the daylight hours, it got weird once it got dark. Or, that was at least the most compelling reason Pritchard could come up with as to why Jensen needed to actually get up and do something that didn't sound too, oh, what was it? Emotional.

Jensen had good reason, of course; he usually did. Pritchard was no stranger to drama - though he didn't go out of his way to instigate all of it as his detractors would claim - but Jensen's life was nothing but one long, unending tragedy. If someone he stupidly cared for wasn't betraying him somehow, _again_ , then there was some other big, farcical reveal.

Sometimes, Pritchard wondered what role he'd take, if he managed to remain in contact with Jensen long enough. He was honestly surprised the man still counted him an ally at all, that he still trusted him. But the pattern of Jensen's life was unmistakable; nearly everyone he knew betrayed him somehow. Some, like Megan or Sarif, Jensen actually still trusted, despite the fact that both had betrayed his trust in ways that made Pritchard uncomfortable to think about sometimes.

He had no intention of doing that to Jensen, though. While he refused to examine his reasons too closely, he was at least determined to be someone who never stabbed him in the back, whatever they were to each other.

Right now he was fairly certain they were friends. Pritchard wasn't even sure exactly when it happened, but while he'd been determined to hate the man from the word go, Jensen had somehow won him over, and here he was, monitoring the man's silent brooding in a meadow.

Well, he supposed he'd have to do something about that before it got all weird; Jensen showed no sign of moving yet and sunset was in half an hour.

========

He didn't actually have to physically _go_ to Jensen, of course. He could just nag him over the infolink, but Jensen had the option to turn that off if he wanted, and that wouldn't do. Besides, the trip wasn't so bad; a little out of the way, sure, but even Pritchard had to admit that the hike to the little meadow was beautiful.

He still wouldn't choose to come out here on his own, but he could at least see why the place held appeal for others.

By the time he got close enough to see Jensen, it was clear the man hadn't moved at all. Pritchard nearly sighed. Jensen probably knew he was there already, but no reason to start him on more of the defensive than he'd already be. Maybe. Pritchard hadn't ever actually come to fetch him like this before.

Pritchard couldn't even figure out what he'd been looking at this whole time; sure, Jensen had his shades on, but even if he hadn't, there wasn't anything here that seemed interesting. The view provided by the cameras hadn't been very illuminating.

He knew that looking at something specific probably wasn't the point, but it really didn't matter, anyways.

"Listen," he began, and Jensen kind of let out a small sigh. "It's ah, getting late. You should come back, maybe try and get some real rest."

Jensen snorted, and actually turned to face him a little, shades still on. "Can't believe you came all this way," he grunted.

"Well, it's perfectly acceptable to brood during daylight in a place like this, but it starts too get a bit weird after dark."

Jensen let it a humorless laugh, and Pritchard almost wanted to sigh. "Look, I know things didn't go... as well as you hoped, today," he began, and Jensen actually jerked his head further away from Pritchard, like a child trying to avoid hearing something they didn't want to. "I know, okay, come on. We both know that underneath all that metal, you're one of the biggest bleeding hearts in the planet. It's not your fault that Silas double-crossed you."

Jensen was silent, arms crossed, but had turned his head fractionally towards Pritchard. He glanced away, over the little meadow instead; the shadows of the trees were growing longer over the tall grass that swayed in the slight breeze. He'd only seen the place through Jensen's eyes before, had only heard the quiet through Jensen's infolink, but that couldn't capture the earthy scent, the gentle wind on his skin, the soft hum of the night bugs starting to wake... He shivered, just a little.

Well, all the more reason to hurry back, then.

"We both know I'm no good at things like this. But I do think it's admirable that you try, that you, you know, still give people chances, no matter what it might cost you. And even though you think you're somehow at fault here, you're really not. You don't have to believe me, but there are people who believe in you." Pritchard felt his ears heat up slightly at the admission, because despite his own cynical nature, he counted himself in that number.

Even if he trusted so much more easily than Pritchard ever would, Jensen hadn't ever actually let him down. He might be brooding over another betrayal that he hadn't seen coming, and seeing that as a failure, but Pritchard didn't judge Jensen by the same values the man judged himself by. He sometimes gave the man shit over it, though; he'd once brought it up in an argument about Megan, before Jensen had cut him off and avoided him for almost six months. But he hadn't lied; he did find it admirable in a way, that Jensen only ran out of second chances when the other person removed the option for him.

He glanced over at the man just in time to see his bearded cheek quirk, just enough that Pritchard knew the small, satisfied smirk that Jensen wore.

"Anyways, this place is great and all, but I can hear the bugs waking up, so let's go back now. I'll even buy dinner," he offered.

Jensen was still a moment longer, then took a breath, and it was like life had returned to his limbs. He stood so smoothly that Pritchard was instantly reminded yet again of the extent of Jensen's augmentation, and marveled at how well he'd come to use them.

Jensen cocked his head slightly, and Pritchard knew exactly what that stupid CASIE mod was picking up from him, so he turned and strode out of the meadow, towards where he'd parked.

"I won't even yell at you for taking a sub optimal route," he offered, very generously, because he so rarely missed an opportunity to snipe at the other man. He didn't officially support Jensen anymore, but occasionally, at Jensen's explicit request (per their agreement, a concession on Pritchard's part after an argument), he would tap into Jensen's augs and offer support just like the days at Sarif Industries. As far as he was aware, Interpol didn't know about it.

But Jensen was closer than he'd thought, and his voice was low in Pritchard's ear when he replied, "But then how will I know what I did wrong?" and strode off in front of him, coat billowing all dramatic like.

There was enough playfulness in his tone that Pritchard knew he was done brooding. But there was also something else, something both light and dark, something that sounded like promise.

He shivered again, even though it wasn't that cold. He wasn't going to let Jensen get away with that, though, and shook it off, following quickly.

"You're right, I shouldn't let this opportunity pass," Pritchard answered, and he saw Jensen duck his head slightly, knew he was trying not to laugh.

Oh, he'd make Jensen pay for that. Later; for now, it was time for dinner.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm absolutely still 100% writing Assassin's creed Shaundes stuff, I promise. But the piece I'm working on has been a bit heavy on the angst recently and I wanted something somewhat fluffy to counteract that.
> 
> ...I've already got a sequel planned for this. ; A ;


End file.
